The BBC reports that The Global Commission on Drug Policy report calls for the legalisation of some drugs and an end to the criminalisation of drug users. The panel includes former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the former leaders of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, and the entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.

The White House rejected the findings, saying the report was misguided.

Their report argues that anti-drug policy has failed by fuelling organised crime, costing taxpayers millions of dollars and causing thousands of deaths. It cites UN estimates that opiate use increased 35% worldwide from 1998 to 2008, cocaine by 27%, and cannabis by 8.5%.

Well I guess that if jails full of users and increased usage is a success, then it's been a success.

maybe the people reading the report in the US were stoned Rob

Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:10 am

Ken

Re: phew, the US thinks that the drug wars a success

If there's one thing that politicians absolutely hate to do, it's admit when they're wrong.

I am convinced that the persistence of the "war on drugs" is at least 90% because of that fact.

The prison industry is big business. Keeping drugs illegal is the easiest way to feed the system.

Every law/prohibition put into place, with the exception of the few shared values, is there only to make the government money.

Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:58 am

Robert Holloway

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Bondurant wrote:

The prison industry is big business. Keeping drugs illegal is the easiest way to feed the system.

Every law/prohibition put into place, with the exception of the few shared values, is there only to make the government money.

Great point

and the money made from the prisons finances the efforts in latin America.

Rob

Thu Jun 02, 2011 9:38 am

Ken

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Not to mention, hot-button issues are an invaluable tool for politicians to keep themselves in power. Drugs will continue to be a problem for as long as our leaders want/need them to be.

Thu Jun 02, 2011 3:37 pm

Robert Holloway

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Ken wrote:

Not to mention, hot-button issues are an invaluable tool for politicians to keep themselves in power. Drugs will continue to be a problem for as long as our leaders want/need them to be.

Cynic

Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:24 pm

Ken

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

I'm an optimist, because I believe there is a minority of intelligent, forward-thinking people who will drag the rest of humanity along with them, kicking and screaming, into a better future.

Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:47 pm

Robert Holloway

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Ken wrote:

I'm an optimist, because I believe there is a minority of intelligent, forward-thinking people who will drag the rest of humanity along with them, kicking and screaming, into a better future.

I used to believe that and then I saw the debate over health care.My elderly mother lives in the UK and when I told her about our system, she simply said"I'd never live in a country like that"

Rob

Thu Jun 02, 2011 9:59 pm

dmar91

Assistant Second Unit Director

Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:26 pmPosts: 103Location: Singapore

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

I seem to remember seeing stories about more of the US states facing deficits discussing whether to legalise pot — and not just for medical use. The hope is legal sales through "legitimate" outlets will improve the sales tax take and reduce the deficit.

Fri Jun 03, 2011 1:04 am

Ken

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Robert Holloway wrote:

I used to believe that and then I saw the debate over health care.My elderly mother lives in the UK and when I told her about our system, she simply said"I'd never live in a country like that"

I'm thinking on a longer timescale than that.

The Catholic church has yet to admit that it was wrong to persecute Galileo for stating that the Earth moves around the sun, but they somewhat recently conceded that they shouldn't have been so rough with him about it.

Intelligence always wins in the end. Just ask all the other hominid species.

(It is a very, very long timescale.)

Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:11 am

Robert Holloway

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Ken wrote:

Robert Holloway wrote:

I used to believe that and then I saw the debate over health care.My elderly mother lives in the UK and when I told her about our system, she simply said"I'd never live in a country like that"

I'm thinking on a longer timescale than that.

The Catholic church has yet to admit that it was wrong to persecute Galileo for stating that the Earth moves around the sun, but they somewhat recently conceded that they shouldn't have been so rough with him about it.

Intelligence always wins in the end. Just ask all the other hominid species.

(It is a very, very long timescale.)

Hmm, doesn't help me then Strange how certain subjects seem to switch off people's brains over hereThere again, in a country that still teaches it's children creationism, we should not be surprised Rob

Fri Jun 03, 2011 10:04 am

johnny larue

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

The U.S. bashing is getting a little thick this week. It's a wonder any of us still knows how to tie our shoes.

Fri Jun 03, 2011 10:48 am

Ken

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

johnny larue wrote:

The U.S. bashing is getting a little thick this week. It's a wonder any of us still knows how to tie our shoes.

Americans--real Americans--have produced phenomenal art such as Taxi Driver, The Godfather, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. We talk about that stuff pretty much constantly.

We also bash idiot charlatans and politicians, who, let's face it, really have it coming.

I will say that I object to the thread title, which is a bit of a misnomer. I don't feel that these jerks are representative enough of the citizens to be referred to simply as "the US", even though representing the citizens is in the top line of their job description.

Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:26 pm

johnny larue

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

I was more so commenting on the pithy asides to health care, religion and education that have crept into this otherwise valid discussion on drug policy.

Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:46 pm

Ken

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

johnny larue wrote:

I was more so commenting on the pithy asides to health care, religion and education that have crept into this otherwise valid discussion on drug policy.

Again, I can see objecting to that in the sense that those comments are made in blanket reference to "the US"--as much as an absurdity as making blanket references to "Hollywood", also unfortunately common. But that's the nature of discussion. Most people don't bother appending their pithy asides with a lengthy disclaimer specifying exactly where the reference does and doesn't apply, and I don't know that it would make things better if they did.

Rather than simply using the US as a punching bag, those remarks may be suggesting--unintentionally or intentionally--that the factors that prolong an unnecessary and destructive anti-drug crusade may overlap with the factors that have brought healthcare overhaul to a stalemate, prevented science and religion from being appropriately compartmentalized in the classroom, etc.

Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:54 pm

johnny larue

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Well, as a practicing Catholic (likewise educated), conservative, opposed to the "Patient Protection and Afforable Care Act", who is nonetheless open to the idea of decriminalizing drug use at the federal level, I find these particular asides to be unnecessary and distracting.

Just saying....

Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:12 pm

Robert Holloway

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

It's interesting that when you live in the US but consume news from the outside, you get a very different viewpoint.

It's reached a state where whenever I travel and mention that I live in the US I get these questions about the US attitudes towards [insert topic here]. There is real incredulity.

On my recent trip to the UK my mother's neighbor asked me if it was true that some US schools teach creationism. She's read it in a newspaper and did not believe it. her face was a picture when I told her.

As for me, I have no issue if schools and parents are OK with this. Hell, they can teach that the world is flat and whatever they want. It just makes the future for my kids that bit less competitive Where i will stand up is if California adopts this junk as well.

Rob

Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:45 pm

Vexer

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Public schools teaching creationism is one of my berserk-buttons, i'm glad they didn't do this crap back when I was in grade school.

Fri Jun 03, 2011 9:01 pm

Ken

Re: Phew... the US thinks that the drug wars are a success

Vexer wrote:

Public schools teaching creationism is one of my berserk-buttons, i'm glad they didn't do this crap back when I was in grade school.

My school didn't teach creationism, but the science teachers were cagey enough that they didn't teach evolution either--even though evolution is basically the entire underpinning of modern science. We also got abstinence-only sex ed.

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